County eyes Halloween rules for sex offenders

Saturday

May 19, 2012 at 11:00 AM

FROM STAFF REPORTS

SAN BERNARDINO • Sex offenders in unincorporated San Bernardino County could soon be barred from turning on their porch lights or participating in any festivities outside their homes on Halloween, as the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors eyes a new set of restrictions in the name of protecting children.

The board is set to vote Tuesday on directing County Counsel to research and draft an ordinance that would ban registered sex offenders from participating in Halloween.

The idea, proposed by 4th District Supervisor Gary Ovitt, follows similar bans imposed by the cities of Ontario, Temecula and other local governments over the past year.

Under a ban, sex offenders could be prohibited from some of the following activities: decorating their homes for Halloween, hosting a haunted house, handing out candy, answering the door for anyone other than law enforcement and having a porch light on during trick-or-treating hours, from 5 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 31.

There are already some precautions taken by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to prevent interactions between children and sex offenders on Halloween. "Operation Boo," which has been held for 18 years, sends parole agents to run compliance checks on known sex offenders to make sure they're staying away from trick-or-treaters.

There are three ways to view Tuesday's meeting of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors:

• Attend the meeting starting 10 a.m. Tuesday in the county government center, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave. in San Bernardino.

• Participate in the meeting without driving to San Bernardino through live videoconferencing in the county Transitional Assistance Department building at 15010 Palmdale Road, Conference Room A/B, in Victorville. Attendees can address the board directly through live public comments.

• Stream live video at www.SBCounty.gov/main/countydirect.asp/.

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